Headwear piece with selectively viewable ornamentation

ABSTRACT

A headwear piece having a crown with an exposed external surface having a front, a rear, a right side, and a left side. The crown has a surface for embracing a wearer&#39;s head to maintain the headwear piece in an operative position on the wearer&#39;s head. The crown has a) a front/right side octant; b) a right side/front octant; c) a right side/rear octant; d) a rear/right side octant; e) a front/left side octant; f) a left side/front octant; g) a left side/rear octant; and h) a rear/left side octant. The first information identifying an event is on at least one of the front/left side and front/right side octants. The second information identifying a plurality of participants in the event is on at least one of a) the right side/front octant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) the rear/right side octant; d) the left side/front octant; e) the left side/rear octant; and f) the rear/left side octant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to headwear and, more particularly, to a headwearpiece with coordinated ornamentation that is strategically situated togive an observer different messages depending upon his/her viewingperspective.

2. Background Art

Designers of headwear are constantly seeking out different designs toboth a) incorporate desired information and b) produce an aestheticallyunique appearance. These goals have been prevalent in the sector of theindustry that produces baseball-style caps. The baseball-style cap hasachieved popularity amongst a wide range of users in many diverseenvironments. Whereas baseball-style caps were at one time wornprincipally for their functional design, this type of headwear hasbecome a staple for an increasingly large percentage of the population.The baseball-style cap is now commonly seen adorned with messages thatmay be informational or commemorative, serve an identification function,perform an advertising function, etc.

The baseball-style cap remains extremely popular at sporting events,including the baseball arena at which this type of headwear earned itsidentity. Souvenir stands at baseball games are routinely stocked withbaseball-style caps with logos for the teams participating in an eventat hand, as well as all teams participating in a conference or league.The most common adornment on this type of cap is a single team logo orname prominently displayed on the front of the crown. The assigneeherein did, at one point, offer a children's cap with multiple teamsrandomly distributed around the front, side, and rear of the crown ofthe cap.

In some game formats, players from multiple teams play on each of theparticipating teams. For example, all star games are common inconferences and leagues at all levels, the most recognized of which isthe All Star Game for Major League Baseball. At this time, each leaguein Major League Baseball in the U.S. has in excess of ten teams. At themid-season All Star Game, players from most, if not all, teams representeither the American or National Leagues.

Heretofore, it has been common to offer baseball-style caps at all stargames as souvenirs with a single message on the front of the crown.Major League Baseball has designed, or had designed, various logos whichare commonly used to identify its All Star Game. These logos, appearingprominently on the front of the crown, generally do not distinguishbetween National or American league teams, nor do they recognize anyspecific teams in either league.

There has been an interest in touting the Major League Baseball All StarGame on headwear while at the same time coming up with a format thatallows recognition of individual teams, thereby appealing to souvenirhunters and their partisan interest in a particular team. In the absenceof this, sales are anticipated to be lost to those looking for asouvenir that has an identification of a particular team, apart from theoverall event in which that team is participating. This problem is notpeculiar to Major League Baseball, or baseball itself. Events such asthis are held at all levels, ranging down to little league baseball, aswell as other sports. This same issue also extends to non-athleticevents, such as academic competitions amongst schools, etc. In spite ofthe fact that sales would be lost by not recognizing individual teams orparticipants, those organizing special league events, such as all stargames, have continued to place logos on the baseball style caps focusedonly on the event, rather than the participating teams or players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one form, the invention is directed to a headwear piece having acrown with an exposed external surface having a front, a rear, a rightside, and a left side. The crown has a surface for embracing a wearer'shead to maintain the headwear piece in an operative position on thewearer's head. The crown has a) a front/right side octant; b) a rightside/front octant; c) a right side/rear octant; d) a rear/right sideoctant; e) a front/left side octant; f) a left side/front octant; g) aleft side/rear octant; and h) a rear/left side octant. The firstinformation identifying an event is on at least one of the front/leftside and front/right side octants. The second information identifying aplurality of participants in the event is on at least one of a) theright side/front octant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) therear/right side octant; d) the left side/front octant; e) the leftside/rear octant; and f) the rear/left side octant.

In one side, the second information is situated so that the secondinformation is not identifiable viewing the headwear piece from a frontelevation perspective.

The second information may be situated so that the second informationcannot be seen viewing the headwear piece from a front elevationperspective.

In one form, the headwear piece has a brim/visor projecting forwardlyfrom the crown.

Third information may be provided on the visor related to the event.

The second information may be an identification of each of the pluralityof participants in the event.

In one form, the identifications each are a logo associated with a team.

In one form, the first information identifies an all star event, thethird information identifies one of a plurality of divisions of teamsparticipating in the all start event, and the second information is inthe form of identifications of teams participating in the all star eventin the one division of teams.

The exposed external surface of the crown may extend continuously in aninverted cup shape.

In one form, the crown has a top opening through which a wearer's headprojects with the headwear piece in the operative position on thewearer's head.

The first information may identify a non-athletic event.

In one form, there are a plurality of logos located in at least one ofthe octants.

In one form, the plurality of logos in the at least one octant have anormal orientation and are skewed from that normal orientation.

The logos may be randomly oriented in the at least one octant.

In one form, the second information is defined by producing embroiderydirectly on the crown.

In one form, the logos are provided on each of a) the right side/frontoctant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) the rear/right side octant; d)the left side/front octant; e) the left side/rear octant; and f) therear/left side octant.

The logos may be substantially uniformly distributed on a) the rightside/front octant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) the rear/right sideoctant; d) the left side/front octant; e) the left side/rear octant; andf) the rear/left side octant.

In one form, the second information is not present on either of thefront/right side and front/left side octants.

In one form, the crown has a rear opening and an adjustable strap forchanging a configuration of the rear opening to thereby alter aneffective size of the headwear piece.

In one form, there is fourth information on the adjustable strap.

The fourth information may identify the event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one form of headwear piece, according tothe present invention, having one form of coordinated informationthereon, and with one side of a crown broken away to expose the interiorof the other side of the crown;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the headwear piece in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the headwear piece in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the headwear piece in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic, plan representation of the headwear piece inFIGS. 1-4 and showing a crown thereon divided into octants;

FIG. 6 is a view as in FIG. 4 of another form of headwear piece,according to the present invention, and having a modified arrangement ofinformation placed thereon;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of one gore on the crown, including at leastone octant on the inventive headwear piece and having informationthereon in the form of identifications of participants with theidentifications in a normal orientation;

FIG. 8 is a view as in FIG. 7 wherein the identifications are skewedfrom the normal orientation of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an inventive headwear piece, as in FIG. 2, withcoordinated information thereon in a different arrangement;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevation view of the inventive headwear piece inFIGS. 1-4 with cooperating parts of an adjustable strap, to change theeffective size of the headwear piece, in a separated state;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, plan view of a modified form of adjustablestrap;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a part of the crown onthe headwear piece, as in FIGS. 1-10, and showing the informationapplied thereto through embroidery;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of another form of headwear piece, withinformation thereon in a coordinated manner, according to the presentinvention; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of still another form of headwear piecewith information applied in a coordinated manner, according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, one form of headwear piece, accordingto the present invention, is shown at 10. The headwear piece 10 is whatis conventionally referred to in the art as a baseball-style cap. Theheadwear piece 10 has a crown 12 defined by a plurality oftriangularly-shaped gores 14, sewn edge-to-edge through lines ofstitching 16 to produce an inverted, cup-shaped receptacle 18 for thehead of a wearer. An inside surface 20, defined by an optional sweatband22, embraces the wearer's head to maintain the headwear piece 10 in anoperative position on the wearer's head.

The crown 12 has a front 24, a rear 26, and left and right sides 28, 30,as viewed from the front of the headwear piece 10. A brim/bill 32projects forwardly from the crown 12. An opening 34 provided at the rearof the crown 12 and is spanned by a strap 36, which is adjustable, ashereinafter described, to vary the configuration of the opening 34, andthereby the effective size of the headwear piece 10.

As viewed schematically in plan in FIG. 5, the crown 12 is divided intooctants. The crown has: a front/right side octant 38; a right side/frontoctant 40; a right side/rear octant 42; a rear/right side octant 44; afront/left side octant 46; a left side/front octant 48; a left side/rearoctant 50; and a rear/left side octant 52, from the perspective of thefront of the headwear piece 10.

According to the invention, information, in various forms and type, isstrategically located upon the headwear piece 10 in a coordinated mannerto convey a different message to an observer, depending upon the user'sviewing perspective. As used hereinbelow, “information” is intended toencompass anything that communicates an idea, identification, etc. Asjust examples, the information can be in the form of words, logos,depictions of animate or inanimate objects, etc.

In one form, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, first information, shown at 54, isprovided on at least one of the front/right side and front/left sideoctants 38, 46. In this embodiment, the first information 54 is shown onboth of the octants 38, 46, but could be provided on only one of theoctants 38, 46. As with all of the other types of “information”described below, the first information 54 is shown in dotted lines inall Figures to represent a generic depiction of any type of informationin virtually any format. As just one example, the first information 54might be a logo that identifies an event. The logo/information 54 maytake virtually any shape or style.

Second information 56 is provided on at least one of the remainingoctants 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52. In this embodiment, the secondinformation 56 is provided on each of the other octants 40, 42, 44, 48,50, 52, although this is not required. Again, the second information 56can be in virtually any format. In one exemplary form, the secondinformation is an identification of each of a plurality of participantsin the event. The event could be virtually any event having multipleparticipants. As just examples, the event might be a school competition,that is either athletic or non-athletic in nature. The event might be acar race, a boxing match, a baseball game, a hockey game, a footballgame, etc.

For purposes of illustration only, first and second information 54, 56related to a baseball event will be described. For example, the firstinformation 54 might relate to an all star game at the major leaguelevel. The first information 54 might include words or other depictionswhich, to a perspective purchaser, identify or relate to the all stargame. The first information 54 may include, for example, the date of thegame, its location, etc.

The second information 56 may include identifications of each of theteams in one or both of the leagues i.e. American/National leagues atthe major league level. In one form, the second information 56 on theheadwear piece 10 includes an identification of only those teams in oneof the leagues. The one league may be identified by third information58, that may be provided anywhere on the headwear piece 10, but which isshown on the brim/bill 32 to be viewable in conjunction with the firstinformation 54. The second information 56 may be a logo representing theparticipants/teams, a word identifying the participants/teams, or otheridentification that serves this purpose.

With the arrangement depicted, an observer viewing the headwear piece10, from a front elevation perspective, will see primarily the firstinformation 54 and, if included, as in this embodiment, the thirdinformation 58. The second information 56 can be seen but may beunidentifiable/unreadable from a front elevation prospective. That is,it may be seen but the details thereof may be indiscernible.Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, on a modified form of headwear piece10′, the second information 56 may be altogether unviewable from thefront elevation prospective from which the first information 54, andoptional third information 58, can be clearly seen.

With this arrangement, from the front elevation perspective, the eventis highlighted by reason of the location of the first information 54and, if present, the third information 58. This potentially allows theheadwear piece 10, 10′ to be worn by the actual participants in thegame/event. Once the viewing perspective is changed from the frontelevation perspective, the individual team identifications becomevisible, in the case of the FIG. 6 embodiment, and clearly discernible,in the case of the embodiment in FIGS. 1-4. This makes the headwearpiece 10, 10′ valuable potentially both as a souvenir and as a part ofthe attire of the players/participants during the game/event.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the identifications making up the secondinformation 56 may be relatively evenly dispersed in all of the octants40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52. However, one or more of the identifications ofthe second information may be provided in one or more of the octants 40,42, 44, 48, 50, 52, to the exclusion of one or more of the other octants40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52.

Different arrangements of the first information 56 are shown inrepresentative octants, residing substantially within a representativegore 14, in FIGS. 7 and 8, in each case in the form of anidentification/logo. In FIG. 7, the information/logos 56, which have anormal, upright orientation in which they would normally be situated tobe viewed, are shown in the same orientation. In FIG. 8, theinformation/logos 56 are shown randomly oriented and skewed from theirnormal orientations. The same arrangement can be provided in each of theoctants 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52 in which the information 56 is provided.

In FIG. 9, another variation of the inventive headwear piece is shown at10″. The headwear piece 10″ has the same general arrangement as theheadwear piece 10, including a crown 12′ and brim/bill 32′. In thisembodiment, the first information 54 is provided in the front/left sideoctant 46 and not in the front/right side octant 38. The secondinformation 56 is shown in three discrete locations, in primarily one ofthe octants 40, 42. Additional, second information 56 is located atdiscrete locations primarily at each of the front/left side andfront/right side octants 46, 38, respectively. No information is shownon, for example, the octants 44, 48, 50, 52. In this embodiment, thebrim/bill 32′ has no information thereon.

The above-described embodiments are intended to be representative innature only. Different coordinated arrangements of the first, second andthird information 54, 56, 58 are contemplated to convey differentinformation to the potential purchaser depending upon the perspectivefrom which the headwear piece 10, 10′, 10″ is viewed.

As seen FIGS. 3 and 10, the strap 36 may consist of releasably joinablestrap parts 60, 62. The strap parts 60, 62 may be joinable selectivelyto have a variable effective length to change the configuration of theopening 34, and thereby the size of the headwear piece 10. In thisembodiment, the strap parts 60, 62 have cooperating hook and loop typefastener portions. As an example, the hook elements 64 may be providedon the strap part 62, with the loop elements 66 provided on the strappart 60.

As an alternative, as shown in FIG. 11, the corresponding strap part 60′may have a post 68 which is selectively directed through spaced openings70, in a corresponding strap part 62′, to produce a modified form ofstrap 36′.

The strap parts 60, 60′ have exposed surfaces 72, 72′ on which fourthinformation 76 may be provided. The fourth information 76 may relate tothe event so that the event can be identified from a rear elevationperspective view by an observer.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first and second information 54, 56 can bedefined by embroidery 78 formed directly through the crown 12 atdiscrete locations on the headwear piece 10. Some, or all, of theinformation 54, 56, 58 could be applied by other means, i.e. by silkscreen printing, sewn patches, labels, etc.

A further variation of the inventive headwear is shown at 10′″ in FIG.13. The headwear piece 10′″ has a crown 12″ that has a similarconfiguration to the crown 12, but lacks a brim/bill 32. First andsecond information 54, 56 can be provided thereon in a manner asdescribed above.

A further modified form of headwear piece, made according to the presentinvention, is shown at 10″″ in FIG. 14 with a crown 12′″ and brim/bill32′″. The headwear piece 10″″ is in the form of a visor having anopening 80 through which a wearer's head projects. A surface 82 extendspartially, or potentially fully, around a wearer's head to embrace thewearer's head to maintain the headwear piece 10″″ in the operativeposition. First and second information 54, 56 is provided on the crown12′″ as previously described. Optionally, the third information 58 canbe provided on the brim/bill 32″.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to beillustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention.

1. A headwear piece comprising: a crown comprising an exposed externalsurface having a front, a rear, a right side, and a left side, the crownfurther comprising a surface for embracing a wearer's head to maintainthe headwear piece in an operative position on the wearer's head, thecrown having a) a front/right side octant; b) a right side/front octant;c) a right side/rear octant; d) a rear/right side octant; e) afront/left side octant; f) a left side/front octant; g) a left side/rearoctant; and h) a rear/left side octant; first information identifying anevent on at least one of the front/left side and front/right sideoctants; and second information identifying a plurality of participantsin the event on at least one of a) the right side/front octant; b) theright side/rear octant; c) the rear/right side octant; d) the leftside/front octant; e) the left side/rear octant; and f) the rear/leftside octant.
 2. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein thesecond information is situated so that the second information is notidentifiable viewing the headwear piece from a front elevationperspective.
 3. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein thesecond information is situated so that the second information cannot beseen viewing the headwear piece from a front elevation perspective. 4.The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the headwear piececomprises a brim/visor projecting forwardly from the crown.
 5. Theheadwear piece according to claim 4 wherein there is third informationon the visor related to the event.
 6. The headwear piece according toclaim 1 wherein the second information comprises an identification ofeach of the plurality of participants in the event.
 7. The headwearpiece according to claim 6 wherein the identifications each comprise alogo associated with a team.
 8. The headwear piece according to claim 5wherein the first information identifies an all star event, the thirdinformation identifies one of a plurality of divisions of teamsparticipating in the all start event, and the second informationcomprises an identification of teams participating in the all star eventin the one division of teams.
 9. The headwear piece according to claim 1wherein the exposed external surface of the crown extends continuouslyin an inverted cup shape.
 10. The headwear piece according to claim 1wherein the crown has a top opening through which a wearer's headprojects with the headwear piece in the operative position on thewearer's head.
 11. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein thefirst information identifies a non-athletic event.
 12. The headwearpiece according to claim 7 wherein there are a plurality of logoslocated in at least one of the octants.
 13. The headwear piece accordingto claim 12 wherein a plurality of logos in the at least one octant havea normal orientation and are skewed from the normal orientation.
 14. Theheadwear piece according to claim 12 wherein the logos are randomlyoriented in the at least one octant.
 15. The headwear piece according toclaim 1 wherein the second information is defined by producingembroidery directly on the crown.
 16. The headwear piece according toclaim 7 wherein the logos are provided on each of a) the rightside/front octant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) the rear/right sideoctant; d) the left side/front octant; e) the left side/rear octant; andf) the rear/left side octant.
 17. The headwear piece according to claim16 wherein the logos are substantially uniformly distributed on each ofa) the right side/front octant; b) the right side/rear octant; c) therear/right side octant; d) the left side/front octant; e) the leftside/rear octant; and f) the rear/left side octant.
 18. The headwearpiece according to claim 1 wherein the second information is not presenton either of the front/right side and front/left side octants.
 19. Theheadwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the crown has a rear openingand an adjustable strap for changing a configuration of the rear openingto thereby alter an effective size of the headwear piece.
 20. Theheadwear piece according to claim 19 wherein there is fourth informationon the adjustable strap.
 21. The headwear piece according to claim 20wherein the fourth information identifies the event.